Or, as Leon Durham said with a shrug after losing three straight games to lose the best of five 1984 NLCS, we'll win it next year. And the theme for the 2004 Cubs was "armed and ready."

For the Nationals, this is shaping up to be a season that slips away, perhaps never to come back. Maybe they won't totally lose it at the end like the 6.5-up-with-12-to-go 1964 Phillies, but it would be justice for them to at least lose it in the postseason. Then when they never get back, you could have a Strasburg curse.

If this were a good plan, although one based on fuzzy science, Strasburg wouldn't have started his season until June. What good is having a great pitcher if you don't use him?

That Cubs team was a bunch of over the hillers playing way over their head. Dernier, Cey, Bowa. They actually had below average pitching also.

Shutting him down for a month, then starting him without Spring training might be the worst thing they can do to his arm.

Agreed. I was of the opinion, apparently like everyone else, that they were shutting him down to save him for the postseason, and thought it would have made more sense to skip starts throughout the season rather than shut him down at the end.

Now, the move to completely shut him down makes a little more sense, if you had no intention of saving him for the postseason. Still think it's pretty stupid, though.

I don't quarrel with their decision to limit him.
But I guess I would have used a different strategy, especially as they led their division by 5+ games most of the season and have never been threatened: maybe pitch him on 6 days rest or limit him to 5 innings per game, instead of just shutting off like this.

I don't quarrel with their decision to limit him.
But I guess I would have used a different strategy, especially as they led their division by 5+ games most of the season and have never been threatened: maybe pitch him on 6 days rest or limit him to 5 innings per game, instead of just shutting off like this.

Shutting him down for a month, then starting him without Spring training might be the worst thing they can do to his arm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zakath

Agreed. I was of the opinion, apparently like everyone else, that they were shutting him down to save him for the postseason, and thought it would have made more sense to skip starts throughout the season rather than shut him down at the end.

Story today in the Tribune that quotes Dr. Lewis Yokum the guy who did the surgery on Strasburg, as saying the Nationals never consulted with him on the decision to shut him down.

Said Strasburg is still upset over what happened.

Lip

As cruel as it sounds, he's the Nationals property and he does what he's told. Maybe if he hadn't gotten shelled in two of his last three starts and if his ERA wasn't steadily rising since the all-star break, he'd still be pitching. But clearly something was off with him whether it was physical or mental or a combination of both. He has not been "vintage" SS for a long time, that's what people still don't seem to get.

And his replacement, John Lannan, as expected did just fine the other night, allowing two hits over seven innings and no runs. Ironic that in the week or so since the announcement the Nats division lead has grown to its largest this year. Clearly they are collapsing and doomed without SS.

As cruel as it sounds, he's the Nationals property and he does what he's told. Maybe if he hadn't gotten shelled in two of his last three starts and if his ERA wasn't steadily rising since the all-star break, he'd still be pitching. But clearly something was off with him whether it was physical or mental or a combination of both. He has not been "vintage" SS for a long time, that's what people still don't seem to get.

And his replacement, John Lannan, as expected did just fine the other night, allowing two hits over seven innings and no runs. Ironic that in the week or so since the announcement the Nats division lead has grown to its largest this year. Clearly they are collapsing and doomed without SS.

Glad to see that straw man has returned.

I am sure John Lannan will be just as good as Strasburg in the playoffs.

He basically says that the percentage of young "phenom" type pitchers who burn out fast has dropped in recent years due to pitch counts and other things, and that because of that, Strasburg is already protected against injury risk far better than anyone from 25 years ago was, because the way pitchers are developed now is more friendly to arms. Coddling him even more by shutting him down isn't necessary because he's already coddled.

As cruel as it sounds, he's the Nationals property and he does what he's told. Maybe if he hadn't gotten shelled in two of his last three starts and if his ERA wasn't steadily rising since the all-star break, he'd still be pitching. But clearly something was off with him whether it was physical or mental or a combination of both. He has not been "vintage" SS for a long time, that's what people still don't seem to get.

And his replacement, John Lannan, as expected did just fine the other night, allowing two hits over seven innings and no runs. Ironic that in the week or so since the announcement the Nats division lead has grown to its largest this year. Clearly they are collapsing and doomed without SS.

I'm sure having this shutdown looming over him and being constantly questioned about it for the last month wasn't helping his focus very much.